Klein’s Korner – Rich Klein is a veteran hobbyist with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Each month, Rich shares his thoughts and insights about the hobby in Klein’s Korner. He has worked as a pricing analyst for Beckett Media. He also is a catalog maintenance expert for COMC. He’s been a freelance writer for various hobby publications through the years. He continues to run his own monthly show in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area. As a GTS exclusive, Klein’s Korner brings collectors and industry professionals his unique take on the hobby every month. Rich’s views are obviously his own and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution. You can follow Rich on Twitter @sabrgeek
Klein’s Korner: Tennis (cards) anyone?
Klein’s Korner: Tennis (cards) anyone? – Flashback: Thinking about a day early in 1991 after moving to Dallas a few months earlier, I was in one of the First Base stores and local dealer Gervise Ford is telling Wayne Grove and myself that a new Tennis set is being produced. (Side note: Gervise is one of the best people I ever met in the hobby and helped one Dr. James Beckett become part of the burgeoning hobby way back in the day).
Klein’s Korner: New chat landscape
Klein’s Korner: New chat landscape – First of all, I would like to wish everyone happy holidays and may 2021 be a far better yearthan 2020 for all of us. A note for 2021 here: is that we have been transitioning this column to use the present to focus more on the past and the trend will continue in 2021. This will be the best of yesterday and today; but if a really important current topic hits we will discuss.
Klein’s Korner: Shows Change, Stay the same?
Klein’s Korner: Shows Change, Stay the same? – Recently, I had the pleasure of setting up at Kyle Robertson’s big DFW area show. The show was quite the success with lots of collectors/dealers either flying in to set up or just walk around from all around the country.
Klein’s Korner: Not Walking in Rhythm
Klein’s Korner: Not Walking in Rhythm – There is a definite strange feeling to be in November (which was being renamed 2020 Election Month) and have only football among the major sports on a somewhat normal schedule.
Klein’s Korner: Three hobby stores, three success paths
Klein’s Korner: Three hobby stores, three success paths – Some of the biggest benefactors of the 2020 hobby surge are most local card stores. Yes I’m very fortunate to have three of those within 20 minutes of where I live. There is a person who I know that is a minimum of three hours from any shows or stores and has to battle for items at the big box stores. So my experience is very different than many other collectors because I can do a ton of stuff in person where other people are totally dependent on a service provider such as USPS, UPS or FedEx to deliver their items.
Klein’s Korner: Card Show Check-In
Klein’s Korner: Card Show Check-In – Recently, I set up at my first show in nearly nine months with my normal card show stock at Kyle Robertson’s October Show in Fort Worth, Texas. When I first moved to Texas back in the day, I was always a bit freaked to see a “Welcome to Fort Worth” sign on the way to Arlington; but after that quick lesson on Dallas-Fort Worth area geography you all would probably rather hear how the show was.
Klein’s Korner: The Road Not Taken
Klein’s Korner: The Road Not Taken – As it seems the sports collecting world has nothing left to do but have nothing but dollar signs and pure investment, there are other paths one can take.
Klein’s Korner: Thank you for complaining!
Klein’s Korner: Thank you for complaining! – You know the old line about, “if I had a quarter for all the times I heard ‘my mother threw my cards away,’ I’d be a millionaire“? Well, If I had a dollar for all the times back in the 1990’s that I heard “Beckett sucks” or “Beckett […]